Shopko customers use app to refill more than 1,000 prescriptions a day, retailer says

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Customers refill more than 1,000 prescriptions per day using Shopko’s mobile pharmacy app, the mass-merchandise retailer said Tuesday.

The app, created by San Francisco-based scripts, allows customers to refill prescriptions, receive pickup and dosage reminders and get a complete view of their health information.

"Our customers appreciate how easy it is to manage their health and prescription needs from their mobile device," Shopko interim CEO and COO Mike Bettiga said. "Since Shopko launched our mobile pharmacy solution in 2012, thousands of customers have been using their mobile phones to interact with our pharmacies in a way that works best and is most convenient for them."

The app is available online through app marketplaces and Shopko’s website, and customers can sign up at the pharmacy counter for a text messaging option.

"Shopko’s customers have embraced the idea of using text messaging and mobile apps to manage their health information," Mscripts CEO Mark Cullen said. "It is commonplace for customers to use their mobile phones to refill on time, to remember to take medications and to share information about their prescriptions with their care providers."

Walgreens reports 8.7% pharmacy comps lift for January

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens Tuesday morning reported January sales of $6.2 billion, an increase of 6.3% as compared to the same month in fiscal 2012.

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased by 13.6% in January and increased 11.6% on a day-fall adjusted basis. This year’s January had one additional Wednesday and Thursday and one fewer Sunday and Monday compared with January 2012, positively impacting prescriptions filled in comparable stores by 2 percentage points. DFA prescriptions filled at comparable stores were positively impacted by 2.3 percentage points due to the higher incidence of flu in this year’s January and by 2 percentage points due to more flu shots administered in the month.

Walgreens reported that the percentage of Express Scripts customers filling prescriptions in its pharmacies continued to increase in January.

January pharmacy sales increased by 8.7%, while comparable store pharmacy sales increased 6.2% and by a day-fall adjusted 4.2%. DFA comparable store pharmacy sales were negatively impacted by 6 points due to generic drug introductions in the last 12 months.

Pharmacy sales accounted for 65% of total sales for the month.

Flu shots administered at pharmacies and clinics season-to-date were nearly 6.9 million versus approximately 5.5 million last year.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association on Monday submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration urging the agency to preserve access to hydrocodone-containing pain relief products, as FDA considers moving the medications from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Schedule III list of controlled substances to the more restrictive Schedule II list.

“NCPA understands the concerns about diversion and abuse of these products and shares these concerns,” stated Ronna Hauser, NCPA VP policy and regulatory affairs. “Nevertheless, moving all of these hydrocodone products to Schedule II will result in significant barriers for patients who have a legitimate need for these products and it will result in adding to the nation’s health care costs with no assurance of a reduction in diversion and abuse.”

NCPA advised the proposed change would create an inordinate amount of hurdles in prescribing the prescription-strength pain reliever such as preventing prescribers from phoning in prescriptions to pharmacies, stopping prescription refills, limiting who can prescribe, and in some instances, prohibiting electronic prescribing. NCPA also suggested that rescheduling would likely increase the value of illicit hydrocodone products, which may prompt more crimes against pharmacies.

NCPA identified for the FDA a range of alternative solutions to reduce drug abuse without the harm to patients that rescheduling hydrocodone would cause. These included more effective education of prescribers, linking their DEA registration to such training; prescription drug monitoring databases and programs; shutting down rogue pain clinics; offering more disposal options for excess medications; greater use of electronic prescribing; and more scrutiny of controlled substances delivered by mail order pharmacies.

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